Loreal

Length for Days! The New L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

November 25th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Tonight I find myself pondering imponderable things…

Like, does the flapping of a butterfly’s wings affect the sway of a husky tabby’s tum halfway around the world?

Or, if I were to wear L’oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara and bat my lashes at the guy making my hot cocoa at Starbucks (being generous with the whipped cream earns you good karma points!), does that alter the sway of tabby tums everywhere?

These are the profound profundities (not really) that passed through one cat lady’s mind as she wore the new L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara today ($8.99). 🙂

It’s all about the (asymmetrical) brush, man!

It’s pretty neat… It looks a little like a comb, doesn’t it? With the longer bristles on one side and shorter ones on the other?

[Continue reading…]

Tom Ford’s Lipsticks Better Look Out Because L’Oreal’s La Laque and Le Matte Colour Riche Lipsticks Have It Out for Them

October 1st, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

L'oreal Lacquer-ized La Laque — That’s L’Oreal’s new La Laque Colour Riche Lipstick in Lacquer-ized, a shiny purple

Question: When does one part lipstick plus one part lip liner equal 100% pure awesome (or close to it)? Answer: When we’re talking about one of L’Oreal’s new Colour Riche La Laque and Le Matte Lipsticks.

To me, the La Laque and Le Mattes are among the most exciting drugstore lippie launches this fall, mainly because of how much crazypants pigment they pack.

That and — holy cannoli! — they’re only $8 a pop.

L'Oreal La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the left and Le Matte in She's So Matte on the right — La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the left and Le Matte in She’s So Matte on the right

I snagged two of them at Rite Aid last weekend on BOGO sale (buy one, get one 50% off) and now wish I’d gotten more.

L'Oreal Le Matte in She's So Matte on the left and La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the right — Le Matte in She’s So Matte on the left and La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the right

They actually remind me of Tom Ford lipsticks…which is freaky, considering the difference in price. Similar texture, smooth formula and uber-high levels of pigment.

Sure, you might not get the same thrill holding one of these that you get from holding one of Tom’s lipsticks in your paw, but then there’s the savings.

WOW!

Loreal La Laque and Le Matte Colour Riche Lipsticks — If you see this display at the drugstore, stop, drop and roll, ’cause these new lipsticks are hot!

L’Oreal divides the line into two different finishes — the shiny La Laques and the matte Le Mattes — and bills them as all-in-one lipsticks and liners.

They’re opaque enough to completely cover my lips in a single, intensely colorful layer, and apply without caking or feathering.

Just so, so smooth…

The texture’s on the thicker side, which I like, because it seems to lock the color to my lips for a good 4-5 hours, and as far as flavors and scents, they have both. It’s a faint light rose that fades over about 10 minutes.

L'Oreal La Laque Colour Riche Lipstick in Lacquer-ized — La Laque Colour Riche Lipstick in Lacquer-ized

[Continue reading…]

Like Diamonds, the New Holiday L’Oreal Infallible Le Gloss 8HR Lipglosses Are a Girl’s Best Friend

December 13th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

loreal dazzle me — Wearing L’Oreal Infallible Le Gloss 8HR in Dazzle Me ($9.99) from the new limited edition Diamonds holiday collection

If…

…Jeremy Renner just texted you about your upcoming date: “Can you wear diamonds, baby? I love it when you shine.” Or…

…you feel incomplete unless your makeup bag is bursting with glitter (too much shimmer? NEVER!), or…

…you’re just in the mood to celebrate the season with some affordable bling…

…then you won’t want to miss the shimmery Infallible Le Gloss 8HR lipgloss shades in L’Oreal’s new limited edition Diamond holiday collection ($9.99 each).

The five glittery glosses range from sheer to opaque, so no matter what level of lipgloss coverage I’m craving, I know I can get my fix on here (incidental update: I still haven’t found my perfect holiday sweater, but I’m still looking!).

Silvery white All Iced Out, pinkish violet To Be Treasured and yellow golden Something Shiny sprinkle a soft dusting of sheer, cool-toned color, while opaque fuchsia Dazzle Me and rich red Sparkle Frenzy flash like bright Christmas lights.

loreal diamonds holiday collection Infallible Le Gloss — From the left: All Iced Out, Something Shiny, To Be Treasured, Dazzle Me and Sparkle Frenzy

loreal diamonds collection swatches legloss — From the left: Al Iced Out, Something Shiny, To Be Treasured, Dazzle Me and Sparkle Frenzy

[Continue reading…]

It’s My Latest Love’s Time to Shine: L’Oreal’s New Paris Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black

July 5th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner

Not to get all Real World confessional on you, but can you keep a secret…?

I’ve been holding it in so long that I’m going to explode if I don’t tell someone!

Here goes… Deep breath, Karen.

I’ve been cheating on the love of my life, and I don’t plan to stop any time soon.

Wait — did you think I was talking about El Hub? Oh, gawd no. I’m stuck on that man like cheese on macaroni. I’m referring to my other love, my favorite black gel liner in the whole wide world, also known as MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

I don’t know why I did it… Boredom, perhaps. Blacktrack and I have been rolling deep since 2007, and despite dalliances with many other gel liners along the way, I’ve always, always come home to Blacktrack. I think it’s just the smoothest, longest-wearing, darkest black gel liner around.

But then my eyes wandered to a new gel liner last week called L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black ($9.95), looking all mysterious in its little pot, and I couldn’t restrain myself.

It actually reminds me of Fluidline in some ways. Both of them deliver smooth, dark lines, either sharp or smudgy, on my lash and water lines in just a swipe or two.

L’Oreal claims Blackest Black is able to last 24 hours, but after spending time with it for a while, I sense a bit of beauty bravado there. I get more like 6 hours along my water lines and 9-12 along my lash lines when I wear it without a primer on my combination dry/oily lids.

Not too shabby, cocoa tabby, and again, comparable to Blacktrack.

So what’s the attraction? Why haven’t I been picking up one of the five pots of Blacktrack scattered around the house (no, seriously!)?

Two words: glossy finish.

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner
Each pot of Infallible Lacquer Liner comes with a brush, which works surprisingly well!

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner Swatch
[Continue reading…]

Bold, Shimmery Eye Makeup That Doesn’t Break the Bank: It’s Easy to Fall for These Six New L’Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Shadows

July 3rd, 2012 by Karen 52 Comments

loreal infallible endless
Wearing L’Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Endless Sea

I’ve been kind of feelin’ the spirit lately with my eye makeup, you know, wanting to wear looks with 20 steps involving primer, 10 different shades of eyeshadow, liner (pencil, liquid, gel AND cake) and false lashes. Basically any and all eye makeup I can get my furry little hands on.

SIDE NOTE: And I’m so not kidding about the fur! Here’s what nobody tells you about your dirty thirties: they’re hairy, as in you start noticing hair growing in odd places (LIKE ON YOUR FINGERS), and suddenly questions like, “Is it faux pas for a woman to shave her hands?” cross your mind.

Ahem! Inside voice, Karen.

Right. But what about those days when Tabs is blowing up my phone with “urgent” pet assistant requests, like, “Please alphabetize my gravy cans, thanks!” and I have the inkling, but don’t have the time, to indulge in complicated eye makeup?

Well, there’s always one of the six new L’Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Shadows ($7.95 each). 🙂

Liquid Diamond, Golden Emerald, Endless Sea, Glistening Garnet, Bottomless Java and Smoldering Plum join 12 existing permanent shades in L’Oreal’s faboo Infallible Eye Shadow line of long-wearing, easy-to-blend powder shadows so satiny smooth that they make velvet jealous, and so shimmery that I keep expecting cherubic angels to emerge from the clouds and say, “DAYUM, GINA!”

And did I mention they’re long lasting? Worn with a primer, they cling to my lids for 8-10 hours without creasing.

loreal endless sea
Endless Sea

loreal infallible golden emerald
Golden Emerald

loreal infallible glistening garnet
Glistening Garnet
[Continue reading…]

New From L’Oreal Paris: Golden Emerald Infallible Eye Shadow

July 3rd, 2012 by Karen 8 Comments

L’Oreal’s new Infallible Eye Shadow 24HR in Golden Emerald ($7.95), one of six new shades for fall. Available in now!

The New $10 L’OrÃ©al Paris Colour Caresse by Colour Riche Luminous Lipcolours Are Rich in Pigment But Light on Pocketbooks

July 2nd, 2012 by Karen 51 Comments

loreal colour caresse colour riche violet chiffon 175
Wearing the new L’OrÃ©al Paris Colour Caresse by Colour Riche Luminous Lipcolour in Violet Chiffon

It’s been an exciting afternoon! First, I discovered what might be my new favorite drugstore lipstick (more on that in a minute); then, I improvised a pasta dish without following a recipe, and it didn’t turn out completely terrible. 🙂

loreal colour caresse colour riche If you’ve ever partaken of my improv cooking before, you’d know that it’s a crapshoot. Sometimes it works out, but sometimes, well, let’s just say that calling it “whack to the Nth degree” would be kind.

Luckily, I had some good ingredients on hand. I made a sauce of olive oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, halved cherry tomatoes and clam juice from a can, threw that in with some spaghetti, and garnished it with basil and salty Pecorino Romano cheese.

I wanted to add the clams for protein but didn’t realize they were whole clams until I opened the can.

Eww! I like diced clams, but I can’t deal with chopping them up when they’re whole. They’re just so…squishy and rubbery, and there’s that dark stuff that oozes out of ’em.

I ended up leaving out the clams, but I did add the clam juice to the sauce for flavor.

The dish was probably the best improv pasta I’ve made in a while, and I should have immortalized it with a pic! — but blast if I didn’t forget to take one before I finished devouring the meal.

Finding my new favorite drugstore lipstick this afternoon helped to soften the blow. The new $9.99 L’OrÃ©al Paris Colour Caresse by Colour Riche Luminous Lipcolours are more than just mouthfuls. They’re also all kinds of rad.

loreal colour caresse colour riche
From the left: Pink Cashmere 171, Blushing Sequin 172, Violet Chiffon 175 and Pink Vinyl 183

Loaded with pigment and moisture, these 16 creamy, modern marvels are rarities among moisturizing lippies because they don’t highlight any flakes on my perpetually parched lips. L’OrÃ©al’s lightweight Luminous Lipcolours are pigmented enough to satisfy my almost insatiable thirst for color, even with a single swipe, and hydrating enough to keep the flakes at bay.

After trying four of the colors so far, my lips and I are happy, moisturized and utterly impressed.

The unscented, unflavored pinks, neutrals and berries in the line headline the show like silent movie matinee versions of the far more expensive Pure Colour Sensuous Rouges from Estee Lauder ($28 each) and Chanel’s Rouge Coco Shines ($32).

loreal colour caresse colour riche swatches
Swatches from the left: Pink Cashmere 171, Blushing Sequin 172, Violet Chiffon 175 and Pink Vinyl 183